


Powerless

by Break_So_Beautifully



Category: In the Heights - Miranda/Hudes
Genre: Benny/Nina (Mentioned), F/M, Gen, Graffiti Pete (mentioned) - Freeform, Hurt!Usnavi, Hurt/Comfort, My First Work in This Fandom, Post-Canon, Racist Language, Robbery, Scared!Sonny, Violence, Whump, Worried!Benny, Worried!Vanessa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-16
Updated: 2020-11-21
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:02:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27584471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Break_So_Beautifully/pseuds/Break_So_Beautifully
Summary: There's another blackout and blackouts always bring out the worst elements.  Usnavi and Sonny are at the bodega and unfortunately some of those bad elements are on the prowl.  Usnavi's going to do all he can to keep them from hurting Sonny.  Even if it means putting himself in the line of danger.
Relationships: Benny/Nina Rosario, Sonny & Usnavi (In the Heights), Usnavi/Vanessa (In the Heights)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 34





	1. All Right We're Powerless

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first In the Heights fic. I have SEVERAL more in the works, so I hope you like it.
> 
> Thanks to the amazing and long-suffering Whumploversanonymous for putting up with all my writing, word-vomiting and stupidly long edit requests. ;-)

_Damnit!_ Usnavi hated blackouts. They always made the bad elements feel like they could get away with murder. He glanced over at Sonny who was staring around blankly as if waiting to see if the lights were going to flicker back on or not. Usnavi decided he would give it five minutes. If the lights didn’t come back on, he would close the bodega for the evening and lock the grate. At least they’d fixed it after last summer. He caught Sonny’s eye when his cousin looked up at him worriedly. Usnavi shook his head. 

“We’ll give it five minutes, okay?”

“Sure,” Sonny responded with his usual passé attitude. Usnavi watched him for a minute. He could tell his cousin wanted to say something. “Yo! Maybe we should go ahead and pull the grate? We can always raise it if the power comes back on.”

“Five minutes, okay? I don’t want to miss out on any business if we don’t have too. I’m gonna go cash out my till. Keep yours open, ya?”

Sonny sighed, “Sure.” He continued straightening up the shelves. 

Usnavi pulled the top cash drawer out of the double register and went to the tiny back office to count out the money. He rummaged in the dark for the battery-operated lantern he kept there for just such occasions. 

Usnavi heard a sudden, loud crash and glass breaking and raced back out to the front. 

“Uh… sorry. I kinda knocked a few of the glass bottles off the shelf,” Sonny remarked sheepishly.

Usnavi smiled and shook his head. “Just make sure it’s cleaned up, ya?”

Sonny nodded and Usnavi went back to counting. As soon as he was done, he dropped the money into a money bag, locked it and slid it through the deposit drop in the safe. It was one of the investments he’d made: a proper, time-locked safe. It made it much less likely that they could be robbed blind. 

He heard another crash and silently shook his head as he dropped back into the chair behind his desk. Some nights Sonny could be so careless, or clumsy. He wasn’t sure which one it actually was. He scrubbed his hands over his face before looking at his evening inventory counts. The bell above the door rang and he heard Sonny address the customer. 

“Yo! We’re closed during the blackout. We can’t ring up anything. Come back in a few if the power comes back on or…” Sonny’s voice trailed off.

Usnavi listened. No one was talking now. Why had he stopped? He was listening so hard with his head cocked to the side that he wasn’t looking at the door. He jumped when he realized Sonny was standing in the doorway.

“‘Navi.” Something was off with Sonny’s tone.

“Yeah, what is it? Who came in?”

Someone shoved Sonny into the office and stepped in after him, but all Usnavi saw was the gun, his eyes zeroing in on the barrel, pointed straight at Sonny’s head. 

Sonny stumbled a bit as he was forced into the room, going down on one knee. He looked up, eyes wide, at Usnavi. 

The man with the gun and two others stepped into the room. They were rough looking, hardened, thirties, maybe? White, tall, well built. Tattoos. Lots of tattoos- the creepy demonic looking ones. The tattoos were all the more lurid looking in the stark white light of the electric lantern surrounded by the deep dark shadows from the inadequate light. 

“Where’s the cash?”

“It’s in the register, out front,” Usnavi replied calmly. 

The man with the gun turned and nodded to one of the others, the youngest looking one who had been the last to come in the room. He heard the register crash to the ground a minute or so later, and winced. _That was totally unnecessary. All they had to do was read and push the ‘open drawer’ button. Man, these thugs are idiots!_ _Those registers are expensive. Maybe they busted it just to cause damage? This sucks. I hate blackouts._

The other man handed Sonny a roll of Duct tape. “Tie him up,” he said with a nod to Usnavi.

Sonny looked at him again for direction. 

“Move!” the man with the gun yelled, making Sonny jump at his shout. Usnavi swallowed and nodded for him to obey. “And don’t even think about tying it loosely. Make sure it’s tight or I’ll hurt him.”

Sonny knelt behind him. Usnavi willingly put his hands behind the chair to make it easier for him. 

“I’m sorry,” Sonny whispered shakily.

“’S’alright,” he whispered back as reassuring as he could be. 

“Ankles too,” the second man ordered. Usnavi felt the tape tightening as it was wound around his ankles and the legs of the chair. 

Once Sonny was done, the second man took the roll of tape back from him. 

“Lay face down on the floor,” the man with the gun instructed, “Hands behind your back and ankles crossed.”

Usnavi watched helplessly as they tied Sonny up on the floor. Then, they looped the tape around his head and over his mouth so that he couldn’t speak. They dug through Sonny’s pockets until they found his cell phone and took it from him. The second man dropped it on the desk and then he came around the small desk as if he was going to search Usnavi.

“It’s not in my pocket,” Usnavi volunteered. He didn’t feel like being groped and pawed at by these men. “It’s in the desk. Top, middle drawer.” He nodded, indicating the drawer in front of him. 

The man opened the drawer and took his phone, placing it next to Sonny’s. 

The third man returned with his backpack stuffed with the money from the second till that Usnavi hadn’t counted yet. It was Sonny’s drawer. He’d only worked a half day and so it had less money. Usnavi’s drawer, which was already in the safe, was by far a much larger amount. 

“It’s not as much as you were expecting, boss. One of the drawers was missing.” 

The man the others called ‘Boss’ knelt down next to Sonny and casually put the gun against his temple. Usnavi watched Sonny squeeze his eyes tight shut at the sound of the gun cocking. 

“Where’s the rest of the money?”

Usnavi couldn’t stop his eyes flickering over to the upscale electronic safe he’d purchased. The man with the gun was highly observant and followed his gaze, his eyebrows arching in surprise at the sight of the state-of-the-art big, black, steel box with the shiny, glowing electronic combination lock. 

“Well, I have to admit, I did not expect to find this nice of a safe in a dump like this.” 

Usnavi frowned at the insult to his family’s store. He’d done a lot of work to fix his bodega up and make it a bright spot on the corner for his community. 

“How did you afford it?” the man asked. 

Usnavi made a mental note that these guys weren’t local. They didn’t know about the lottery winnings he’d received from Abuela Claudia last year. As often happened, his heart gave a grief filled lurch at the memory of losing his Abuela. They were just passed the one-year mark of when she’d died. 

“I came into some money last year,” he answered truthfully, volunteering nothing else. 

“Interesting. I’d have thought you immigrant, ghetto rats would have spent it on drugs and alcohol, or something frivolous like expensive shoes and big screen TVs.”

“I’m a businessman,” Usnavi replied coolly. 

“Sure you are.”

“Look, take whatever the hell you want from the store. Take the money and just leave us alone. You haven’t done anything that insurance can’t cover. Just go.”

He stood up and walked towards Usnavi. He sat on the edge of the desk right in front of him. Too close. He felt himself instinctively pulling back from the man. Usnavi raised his eyes and glared defiantly up at him, looking him square in the face. He saw something shift in the man’s eyes but didn’t have time to process what it meant. 

The blow was lightning fast. The man smashed the edge of the gun across the side of his skull. The forced snapped his head to the side and turned his vision black for a moment as white raging pain lanced through his head. He grunted but managed to not scream. He could feel blood dripping down the side of his head almost immediately. Still, someone did scream. He shook his head to try to clear his thoughts and focus. His eyes found Sonny. He had been the one to scream. His eyes were bright with tears and terror. _Jesus, why couldn’t they just leave them alone?_

“You immigrants think you’re so special. You’re a disease. A plague on society, sucking resources. Are you even here legally?”

“Yes.” Usnavi grit his teeth in defiance of the audacity of this man. “Why would you assume otherwise?” He knew he shouldn’t goad this racist, but he just couldn’t stop himself. 

“What about your little friend here?” he asked. He made a move to go back toward Sonny and Usnavi was desperate to keep him away from his younger cousin.

“He was born here, you racist prick. He’s just as much of an American as you are. What the hell is wrong with you?”

It worked; the man’s attention turned back to Usnavi. He gulped. _Did I push him too far? Is he going to hit me again?_ Usnavi met the man’s icy stare. He set the gun down and reached into one of his pockets. He pulled out a knife. _¡Coño!_

“Perhaps a gun isn’t enough to shut you up.” He looked at the other two men with him. “This is what happens when you let these people be in charge. They start thinking that they’re better than everyone else, better than their superiors.” He leaned in close, setting the blade of the knife against the bare skin of his upper arm. “Let me tell you something. There’s nothing wrong with me. I was born better than you. I’ll always be better than you.” 

Usnavi couldn’t keep still as he felt the knife start to slice into his skin. He clenched his jaw, keeping his mouth shut, but was not able to stop the cry that was torn from his throat, squeezing his eyes shut. He heard Sonny give another scream in protest. And then it was over. The man had made a four-inch incision down his left bicep. Usnavi panted through his nose and ground his teeth together trying to keep the pain at bay. His head pounded and his arm throbbed. Blood was dripping off his chin from the gash in his head and he could feel a trickle making its way in a spiral down his arm. It tickled and for some reason, that really bothered him. 

“I want you to open the safe.”

Usnavi let out a small sob. “I can’t,” he whispered, his heart sinking. “It’s electric. There’s no power. Even if there were, it’s on a time delay. Please, take what you have and leave us alone. Please. I won’t tell anyone. Sonny won’t say anything. We’ll just say the store got looted again.”

The man got up and went over to the safe. He pressed a button and the keys lit up dimly from their back-up power supply. Usnavi knew the message that was displayed there. ‘Primary power needed to unlock safe. Battery back-up insufficient.’ It was supposed to be a deterrent to looting in a blackout. He heard the man give a grunt of frustration. 

“Looks like we’re going to be here a while.” He turned and nodded towards the man with the backpack. “Go close the grate.” The younger man turned and left the office. 

“Please, it could be days before the power comes back on. You can’t keep us here. People will come looking. This is a close-knit community. I know you’re not from around here, you don’t understand.”

“How do you know that?” the Boss asked skeptically.

“What? It’s obvious. If you were from here, you wouldn’t have asked how I got the safe. You wouldn’t insult the culture that Sonny and I and the rest of the hard-working people in this neighborhood come from. Why are you even here?” 

He couldn’t help the last question. It didn’t make any sense. There were a ton of places that he could hit where he’d get more money. Why _his_ bodega? He heard the sound of the grate closing. He knew it would be unlocked, but still, it would look like they were gone, especially with the lights out. _Vanessa_ , he thought frantically. _Will I make it home tonight? Will I ever see her again?_ The third man came back a moment later. 

The man with the gun returned and sat in front of Usnavi, looking over him carefully. “I must admit, I expected more in terms of cash. I’m very disappointed by this development. So, what else can you give me to make this entire endeavor not a waste of my time?”

Usnavi didn’t understand what this man was asking. “I told you, you can take whatever you want from the store. Whatever.”

“Petty theft. I was hoping for much more money. You see, we were already coming here before the blackout. The blackout was just… convenient.” He fixed his pale green eyes on Usnavi. They looked eerily like a cat’s in the bright white glow of the electric lantern. “Perhaps you need some time to think of something more creative. Perhaps your younger friend here would be willing to help me?”

“No! Leave him alone. Please, he’s just a kid.”

The man ignored him. Usnavi frantically looked around. He saw the other two smirking as their boss took a predatory stance over Sonny. _This is not happening. It can’t be._ Usnavi watched as the man pulled Sonny’s hat off the rest of the way and tucked some of his hair behind his ear. Sonny whimpered; his eyes shut tight again. 

“Perhaps you would like matching marks?” He twisted Sonny’s position so that he could put the knife against his arm in the exact same place that he had cut Usnavi.

“No. Please! What do you want? I don’t know what you want.” He squirmed and yanked desperately at his bonds. “I’m not resisting or trying to be difficult. Please. Don’t hurt him. I’ll do whatever you want, just leave him alone. Please. I’m begging you. I’ll do anything you want.” He pulled at the tape around his wrists. It dug in as it stretched and grew thinner. But it stretched. A little. 

“Anything?”

“Yes! Anything.”

“We’re going to need some entertainment while we wait for the power to come back on. How good are you at fighting?”

“What? I’m… I’m okay. I try not to if I can help it. I never really saw the need for it.”

“Do you see the need for it now?” the man with the gun retorted mockingly. 

Usnavi nodded, but no, he really didn’t see it. This man had a gun. His ability to fight wouldn’t be a match for a bullet. He had always been better with his words than with his fists. 

The leader tossed his knife to the middle guy. “Cut him loose. Let see how he fairs against you.”

Usnavi did not like the voracious gleam that came into the man’s eyes or his nearly vampiric smile. The man circled around behind him and cut the tape from around his ankles. When he flicked the knife up between his wrists, Usnavi hissed as the blade cut into his forearm. 

“Oops. My bad, _señor_ ,” the assailant spat mockingly at him. He grabbed Usnavi gruffly by his collar, wrenching him up out of his seat. “On your feet, wetback! Let’s see how scrappy you really are.”

Usnavi bristled at the slur. The leader had his gun out again and was idly running it along Sonny’s ribs, making the boy cringe into himself. Usnavi looked around bewildered. The room was small and even with the garish light, it was hard to see. Did they want him to fight here? He turned to the wiry man that had cut his bonds.

“Are we doing this he-” but the man punched him in the gut before he could finish the sentence. Usnavi wrapped his arm around his middle protectively before dropping to one knee. All the air had been driven from his lungs and he felt like he couldn’t pull it back in fast enough. He heard the cry from Sonny and the laughter of the other men. _Please. Please let someone find us. Let the lights come back on. Anything. Please,_ he silently prayed to himself. He heard his Abuela’s voice in his head, more clearly than he had in over a year now. She was praying the rosary like she did over him when he was sick as a boy. 

“Come on you weakling! Up on your feet. Give me a real fight. Or maybe we should have untied the little one?” the man taunted. He was positively dancing a boxer’s dance in the narrow, dark corner behind the desk. Usnavi stood up. He wouldn’t be caught by surprise again if he could help it. He tightened his stomach muscles and put his arms up in front of him like he had seen in the boxing matches. He thought back to every fight he had ever seen. _Block!_ he told himself, _just block as best as you can._

The man was fast, but Usnavi was smaller. When he swung, Usnavi ducked the next punch, but was blindsided by the hit from the other side. _Damn it!_ He saw stars at the edge of his vision. He’d be a sight if he survived this. He shook his head to clear his vision. He had nowhere to go. Boxers could work the ring; dance around each other and wear the other fighter out. Here, in this tiny space, they could just stare at each other and try to dodge the point-blank blows. _Ridículo._

Usnavi and his assailant continued to throw punches at each other, Usnavi noticed he wasn’t getting near as many punches in as he would have liked, and his opponent was able to get in close and land many more hits than were to his liking. The man leaned in and grabbed the back of Usnavi’s neck like he was hugging him. Usnavi grunted as the man delivered five or six punches to his ribs and stomach in quick succession. He couldn’t pull away and instead he dropped to his knees. The man grabbed his hair and yanked his head back before punching him hard, right across his cheekbone. He felt his head whip to the side and then collide with the edge of his desk. He dropped to the floor. The man kicked him in the abdomen and sides. He curled in on himself to try and protect his midsection. 

“Tsk,” he heard the boss say. “I guess that means it’s your turn.” 

Usnavi opened one eye, the other was quickly swelling shut. “N-No,” he gasped. “Please. Don’ make h’m.” He spat blood out of his mouth. He could hear his speech slurring, his tongue felt thick. His thoughts were foggy and no amount of shaking his head would clear it. He rolled onto his hands and knees in an attempt to stand and take more. 

The floor in front of him was splattered with blood. _My blood._ Something in his field of vision altered. It was suddenly very bright, and his head gave an almighty throb at the drastic change in the environment. The lights. The lights had come on. Usnavi could have cried. 

“Well, that’s a pleasant development. Perhaps we’ll get what we came here for after all.”

Usnavi collapsed back on to the floor with a gasp. He wasn’t allowed to rest for long. The leader hauled him up by his hair and started to drag him over to the safe. 

“Put the code in,” the man ordered. Usnavi stumbled and swayed, his vision blurring slightly, as he was forced towards the safe. He hit the wall by the safe heavily. He felt the gun at the back of his head. 

Usnavi had trouble getting his eyes to focus. He was certain he had a concussion from his head hitting the table a few moments ago or maybe it was the hit from the gun earlier? He took several deep stabilizing breaths, which hurt more than he could have imagined. _How can breathing hurt?_ Then he punched in a code he’d hoped he’d never have to use. A time clock counting down from 30 minutes started. 

“Thirty minutes!” the man raged. “Thirty fu-“ He spun Usnavi around and shoved him back against the wall hard. He punched him in the mouth, splitting his lip instantly. “What did you do?” Usnavi cowered against the wall, barely able to hold his hands up to defend himself from any further blows. 

“T-T-Time l’cked. I tol’ you. Time lock’d. I can’t…” Usnavi slumped down the wall, unable to keep himself on his feet. The boss yanked him forward onto his stomach and then landed hard on Usnavi’s back, his knee digging into his spine. He punched him in the back and shoulders repeatedly.

“What! Did! You! Do!” he screamed at him with each punch. Usnavi could not catch a breath to make a response. 

He lay on the floor in front of Sonny. He could see the boy’s tears coursing over his face and then dripping on to the floor. Usnavi knew that, should he survive, that image would be indelibly imprinted on mind’s eye for ever. 

The boss grabbed his shirt and dragged him back over to his chair. His hands were roughly yanked behind him again and the tape used once more to bind him. It was pulled much tighter than when Sonny had done it and within a few moments his fingers started to go numb. 

He continued trying to focus on his breathing. _Please come. Please work_ , he desperately prayed. Abuela Claudia was reciting the rosary over him again in his head. He chanced a glance over at Sonny. The boy’s eyes were wide and searching. He could easily read the question they were soundlessly asking. _Are you okay?_ He gave him a quick reassuring nod. Every breath was agony. He suspected one of his ribs may have been broken. 

“You better pray it’s just a regular time lock and not anything else. If it is… well, you’ll be very sorry. And I’m willing to bet that your little friend here will be very dead.”

Usnavi swallowed hard as the tears blurred his vision. _Oh God! Oh God! Oh God!_

“Hey, while we wait to find out,” the leader spoke to the third man. “Go see if he’s got anything to drink out there. Preferably a beer. Would you all like something to drink?” His tone was casual, almost playful. Celebratory. It made Usnavi sick. 

The third man returned with a case of the most expensive beer in the bodega. _Of course, not like they couldn’t get the cheap stuff._

“It’s still cold boss. It was in the cooler.” 

“Excellent,” the boss replied. He popped open the bottle he was handed and drank deeply from it. “Oh, where are my manners. Here, let’s share.” Sonny squirmed as the man poured the rest of the alcohol over his head, spluttering as it got into his nose. He threw the empty bottle against the wall where shattered and sent shards of glass spraying across the floor. 

The boss motioned to the man that had fought Usnavi. “Why don’t you share yours with him? He must be thirsty.” 

“No. I’m not…” His head was yanked back by his hair. He had no choice but to let them pull his head back as far as they could. He struggled as the liquid was poured over his sore mouth and nose. He thrashed and bucked, as it burned going into his nose and down his throat, stinging his split lip. He could hear the peals of laughter from the three men. 

There was a noise from out front. The grate being raised up. 

“NYPD! Anyone here? Is everything alright? We got a call there may be an issue… This is the NYPD. If anyone is here, make yourself known.”

Every single person in the small back room froze. Usnavi thought his heart was going to beat out of his chest. 

“Go,” the boss whispered to the youngest man with the backpack. “Get rid of them. Tell them everything’s fine. The power outage must have tripped a false alarm.” The younger man nodded and went out, pulling the door to behind him. 

The Boss fixed his gaze on Usnavi. Usnavi gulped. “Or did it?” the man questioned. He had the knife in his hand again as he approached the bodega owner. “The code you put in…” Usnavi wisely kept his mouth shut. “You triggered the alarm, didn’t you? You called for help.”

“No. I couldn’t have. I…” The knife was against his throat, right at his Adam’s apple. 

“You’re a terrible liar. But I don’t think I’m going to make you pay the price for it, at least not yet.” The knife trailed with a tickle down the column of his throat to the little hollow at the base of his neck. A small tiny prick left a single drop of blood trickling down to stain his shirt further. 

Then the Boss withdrew from him and traded the knife for the gun once more and returned to Sonny. 

“No! Please, he’s… h’s j’st a… a kid. Do’n hurt h’m.” Usnavi whispered, word’s continuing to grow more and more slurred. He was still not willing to anger the man further by alerting the cops to their presence right then and there. 

“Shh…” the Boss cooed. “Let’s make sure our friendly NYPD are gone and then we can all see how this is going to play out.” 

Usnavi felt sick. 

The leader had the gun shoved against the base of Sonny’s skull. He pressed a finger to his lips as his eyes locked with Usnavi’s. He knew in that moment that he wasn’t going to utter a sound. His chest clenched as he forgot to breathe. He heard the back door to the bodega being forced from the outside. 

“Nothing back here, sir,” another officer called. 

“What’s in that room?” He heard the first officer query.

“Nothing, just storage.”

“Show us. Now!” It wasn’t a question. 

The boss stood up, and yanked Sonny up in front of him. With is ankles crossed he couldn’t really stand, still he was just tall enough and upright enough to be a perfect human shield. 

He dragged Sonny as he backed up around the narrow space between the desk and safe to get back behind the desk and away from the door. The other man crouched behind Usnavi and he felt the cold metal of another knife press against his throat. 

As the officers moved closer to the door, he heard the officer remark to the third man, “Nice tattoos. I haven’t seen the like since I visited Attica.”

“Officer Reyes. Keep our young friend here company while we check out this room.”

There was the sound of a brief struggle and then the door was opened. Three officers came barreling into the tiny room. 

Their guns were drawn and trained on the two other men. The officer in the back radioed immediately for back up and S.W.A.T. Usnavi was sure he heard the word hostage. _Hell no!_ They hadn’t tied his ankles when they put him back in the chair. He glanced up to his right where the boss man was holding Sonny. He could see all his attention was on the cops. The room felt hot and close. Too many people in that small space. They were all staring down each other’s gun barrels. _It’s now or never Usnavi De La Vega_ , he told himself. _Dios te salve, María, llena eres de gracia, el Señor es contigo…_


	2. There's Nothin' Goin' on Here That We Can't Handle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Usnavi is counting on an almost literal Hail Mary to get him and Sonny out of their predicament safely. But he's already injured and a Hail Mary is no guarantee.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to the awesome and amazing Whumploversanonymous for the beta. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy this second half of Powerless.

Usnavi, still reciting the prayer with Abuela in his head, raised his feet and braced against the desk. He then shoved backwards as hard as he could into the man behind him and hoped the distraction would be enough. He had the added bonus of hearing a crack as he snapped his head back and collided against the man’s face. _Dodge that, pendejo!_

His chair fell back onto the stunned man. The room descended into chaos. Usnavi couldn’t see anything. He heard a grunt from Sonny and the boss shouted and then there were gun shots. The sound was so loud in that tiny space that Usnavi didn’t think he’d ever hear anything again. He didn’t know that ringing in his ears could be that painful. 

Suddenly, two of the officers were wrenching the chair up and tackling the man behind him. The chair ended up on its side and the entire skirmish was behind him. He thrashed painfully, trying to free himself from the tape while the chair dug into his arm against the ground. Where was Sonny? Was he okay? Was he hit? 

“Sonny!” He croaked out weakly. The officers were still struggling with the guy behind him, when Usnavi became aware that there were now many more than three officers in the tiny room. His head swam. 

An officer crouched in front of him. “Easy, son. Te tenemos. Te sacaremos de aquí. Espere.” His Spanish was flawless. 

Usnavi looked at him. “My cousin? Is he ok? Is he…? Is he…”? He couldn’t bring himself to finish the question. 

“He’s going to be fine. You two are very brave. Albeit a bit foolhardy.” 

“What? What did he do?” 

“He yanked his feet up off the floor and that creep dropped him. And then we dropped _him_.” The officer said with a bit of a smirk. 

Usnavi panicked for a moment when Sonny moaned, cried out, and then gasped painfully fearing that he was injured in some serious way. He peeked around the officer in front of him to get a clear view. The tape had just been pulled off of his mouth, prompting the pained cry a few seconds ago, and now the officer was trying to get it out of his hair without causing too much discomfort. It took a few minutes, but it was finally completely off his head. The officer cut the rest of the tape off of Sonny’s wrists and ankles. 

The policeman with Usnavi cut through the last of the tape on his wrists before helping him to stand. As soon as he was sure he wasn’t going to fall over, he scurried around the desk to where another officer was pulling Sonny up off the floor. Usnavi pulled Sonny into the tightest bear hug he had ever given him. He yelped when Sonny squeezed him round the middle. _Definitely at least one broken rib._ He looked over Sonny’s shoulder at the gory scene in front of him. The leader lay dead, at least two bullet holes in his chest and one in his forehead. Usnavi purposely kept his eyes off the back wall, though he could tell it had been repainted with the contents of the man’s head. He swallowed. 

“I thought they were gonna beat you to death right in front of me,” Sonny managed to gasp out through his sobs into Usnavi’s neck. _He was getting so tall. When did that happen?_

“What’s this I hear about you dropping to your knees?” he inquired. 

“I couldn’t let you have all the credit, primo.” 

Usnavi kissed the top of his head. 

“Gentlemen, please, there is an ambulance waiting. You need medical attention,” the officer who spoke perfect Spanish said with a gentle touch to Usnavi’s shoulder. 

Usnavi carefully guided Sonny out of the room, keeping him turned away from the gruesome scene behind them. 

As the adrenaline wore off and Usnavi stepped towards the front of the bodega, he felt his feet begin to drag. Every hit he’d taken began to crash in on him. He felt himself leaning more and more on Sonny as they walked to the waiting ambulance. 

Sonny startled as Usnavi dropped to his knees just outside the bodega. “‘Navi? ‘Navi what’s wrong?”

“M’okay. M’jus’ sore. Sore n’ tired.”

“Yo! Usnavi! What happened man?” Benny called as he came running. He shoved past the cops. “That’s my friend. He needs help.” And then he was there, right behind him. “I gotcha. Easy. I gotcha.” He felt Benny’s strong arms lifting him up and gently carrying him towards the waiting ambulance before setting him on the gurney. 

Usnavi looked up at him. “S’me punks tried… loot the bodega… ‘gain. Sonny… Sonny n’ I showed them, though.” He tried to smile, but it was getting hard to hold his eyes open. The pain and exhaustion were crowding in. “Hey, m’phone’s back ‘n’th office. Can you see if someone’ll get ‘t for me? Call… V’nessa… tell her… tell where I ‘m? Oh, ‘n Sonny’s phone too. They’re both… both on… the desk.”

“Yeah, no problem, man. I’ll take care of it. You just rest. I’ll make sure the bodega gets locked up after everything dies down.”

Usnavi nodded his appreciation and then closed his eyes. The paramedics lifted the bed into the ambulance and Sonny climbed in with them. 

Usnavi opened one eye and gave him a weak smile. It was over. Sonny was going to be okay. They were safe. He could rest now. He let himself pass out as the ambulance pulled away from the bodega. 

* * *

Usnavi felt the world opening back up around him slowly. It was dark and then slowly the dark became grey and then pink then orange, then a soft yellow and then white. He blinked and opened his eyes. He didn’t move, he just cast his eyes around the room. Sunlight filtered in through the window. Sonny was sitting up in a chair sound asleep. He had clean white gauze wrapped around his wrists. In another chair, Vanessa had fallen asleep with her head on the upright edge of the hospital bed, close to his own. He followed the line of her arm down to where their hands met, hers curled around his gently. 

The door opened softly, and Benny came in. Usnavi’s eyes moved to him. He went and sat in the chair on the other side of the bed. 

“Good to see you awake,” he whispered quietly, in an attempt to not wake the others. “It’s been a long night. You’ve been out for hours.”

Usnavi couldn’t seem to make his voice work yet. He nodded weakly. 

“It’s ok, amigo. Rest. We’ll be here when you’re ready.” 

He smiled as he closed his eyes and drifted again. Nina was clearly rubbing off on Benny. Hearing him speak Spanish made his heart feel warm.

Much like before, reality filtered in slowly. This time it was sound that came to him first. Voices. _Familia_. Sonny, Vanessa, Benny. 

He opened his eyes. They were talking, laughing, it was comfortable, familiar. He felt warm and content. Something in the back of his head told him that if he moved it would shatter the moment and he didn’t want to do that. This, the easy back and forth of those closest to him, surrounding him, this was why he stayed. He glanced down and saw Vanessa’s hand still entwined in his. He moved his thumb to brush across the engagement ring that she wore. He had a matching one on his finger. He’d only asked her… a week ago? Yes. He asked her on the anniversary of their first date. July 3rd. 

“Usnavi?” Vanessa asked. 

He smiled at her. 

“He’s still doped up,” Benny joked.

“Ay, shh,” Vanessa rebuked. 

“I’m ok,” he whispered weakly, voice raspy. “Everything is just… pesado.”

“You scared us half to death, mi amor,” Vanessa whispered, leaning up to kiss him. He grunted. The pressure against his lips hurt. He had a sudden flash of the fight he’d been in. All the memories came crashing back in and his breathing hitched. He felt the pain lance across his ribs. 

“Easy. You’ve been banged up quite a bit, Cuz,” Sonny chimed in. “You’ve got two broken ribs, stitches in your cabeza and a concussion.”

He adjusted his body slowly, experimentally. _Ouch!_ He could feel the tight taping around his midsection. 

“You’ve also got some crazy bruises, brother.” Benny reached out and touched his cheek, near his left eye. That hit he remembered. 

Usnavi noticed that he had the same soft gauze wrappings around his wrists and more around his upper arm where the man had cut him. There was another sudden and unwanted flash of memory of him pulling at the tape holding him in the chair. 

“Usnavi? You okay, bro?”

“Yeah, Benny. I’m good. Just… just thinking. It’s going to be a pain getting the bodega cleaned up.”

“Nah, man. The block already took care of it. Don’t you worry. We got your back.”

“But… there was so much blood…and… and…ugh.” _Brain matter_ , he thought to himself, he didn’t want to say it out loud. 

“I told you, no worries. It’s taken care of.”

Usnavi looked at Vanessa. Her eyebrows were knit with concern. 

“I’m fine, love.” He brought her fingers softly to his lips. “La chica más adorable del lugar.” 

She smiled at him. 

“So. How long do I have to stay here?” 

“The doctor should be by in a little while. He had just checked on you right before you woke up,” Vanessa replied. “He said you may have to spend another night. They want to x-ray your ribs and make sure there’s no complications from your wounds. Sonny said you took several hits to the head.” 

Usnavi felt a sudden throb in the side of his head and he winced. 

“Yeah, you needed stitches. Yo! What the hell did he hit you with man?” asked Benny. 

“His damn gun. Ouch that hurt,” Usnavi replied, gingerly poking at the bandages around his head. 

Vanessa leaned over and kissed his head. “Ay, Dios mio. You’re going to be the death of me. Why didn’t you just give him the money, no?” 

“I couldn’t.” 

“What do you mean? Of course, you could.” 

“No,” Sonny chimed in, a hollow look in his eyes. “He really couldn’t. That damn safe that he bought. It was on lock down with the power outage. Those thugs were just going to wait us out.” 

“So, why did they beat the hell out of you?” Vanessa asked. 

“That was just them having fun. Like… their own personal fight club.” Usnavi replied. 

“Madre de Dios!” 

“Yo! I heard one of them cops say that those dudes were Aryan Brotherhood from up at Attica. They were hard core,” Benny put in, his face a bit paler than normal. 

“Yeah, they were racist pendejos for real,” Sonny added quietly. “The stuff they said about us.” 

“Yeah, whatever, they’re the losers. And that mean one, the leader, he’s a dead loser,” Usnavi said with a deep breath. 

There was a knock at the door and an officer entered the room, the officer that spoke perfect Spanish. He looked sheepishly around the room. 

“I’m sorry to disturb you, but now that he’s awake, I need to ask him a few questions. Could we have the room, please?” 

“Sí,” Usnavi responded. He squeezed Vanessa’s hand. “Paciencia y fe, ya?” 

“Yeah.” She kissed him and then left with the others. 

“You look much better than when I saw you last, Mr. De La Vega.” 

“I should hope so,” Usnavi replied dryly. 

“Officer Reyes,” he said, offering his hand. Usnavi shook it gladly, the motion made the cut on his arm sting a little. “I’m sorry for what happened. I wish we could have gotten to you sooner. What took so long to put the code in?” 

“The damn power was out. It’s supposed to be a deterrent to theft. The one that got shot was pissed when he couldn’t get into it.” He tried to sit up a bit more but hissed when this jostled his ribs. 

“Easy. It’s gonna hurt for a while. I’ve had broken ribs before. It’s no bueno.” 

“Say, where are you from? Your Spanish es perfecto.” 

He laughed a bit. “I’m from here. Fifth generation New Yorker, fourth generation NYPD. But mi familia originally came from Puerto Rico.” 

“Ah. Soy de República Dominicana. Primera generación.” 

“I was super impressed with how you handled yourself in those tense moments when we came through the door. What made you think to do that?” 

“I saw it in a movie. No one was watching me, and I knew if someone didn’t do something to distract them, it was gonna devolve very quickly. I heard the word hostage over the police radio, and I didn’t… I didn’t want it to go down like that. I figured Sonny and I had already had enough.” 

“Ah, yes, the other young man. He’s your… cousin?” 

“Yeah. I take care of him since our Abuela passed last year and neither of us have any parents left.” 

“He’s going to have quite a set of bruises. I was surprised when he dropped like that. It was quick thinking. He was very brave. He definitely could have been much more seriously injured. However, I think your combined actions probably saved both of your lives as well as a lot of time.” 

“I thought for sure, when I heard that gun go off that he was dead.” 

“It was a definite possibility for a moment there. We try to avoid that sort of thing at all costs, but it does happen. I’m just glad it didn’t here. So, will you tell me what happened from start to finish as best you can?” Officer Reyes flipped open a notebook and took out a pen, looking expectantly at Usnavi. 

Usnavi spent the next hour or so recalling as many details as he could about what went down in the bodega that night. It was beyond exhausting having to relive the whole thing in that much detail. Officer Reyes gave him several breaks and quietly prompted when things seemed especially difficult for Usnavi to put them into words. 

“I had hoped I would never have to use that emergency code. I don’t know what would have happened to me, or to Sonny, if I hadn’t.” he said as he finished his narrative. 

“I’m willing to bet the outcome would not have been nearly as good. We’ve had a string of robberies and murders in small ethnically owned shops all over the five boroughs. We’ve known these guys were involved; we just couldn’t find them. They apparently put this crew together while all serving time in prison a few years back. They’ve racked up quite the body count.” 

“Why? Why would they do that?” 

“Racists nihilists, I suppose. They seemed to just want to watch the world burn and cause as much damage as they could.” 

“Benny said he heard someone say they were Aryan Brotherhood?” 

“Yes, that’s what I would gather from their tattoos.” 

“But… no one tied to my store is in a gang. We just run a small business that my parents started before they died. Why us?” 

“You’re a minority. That was enough for them.” 

“I feel bad that Sonny had to hear what they said about us.” 

“The world is full of gente estúpida y arrogante.” 

“Yeah, just not usually in my home.” 

“You guys will be okay. There wasn’t actually that much damage to the storefront. The crime scene clean-up guys were already working on the back room when I left, and your neighbors were helping with the rest of the store.” 

“Ah, that explains why Benny told me not to worry about all the blood… There was so much blood.” 

“It’ll clean. No worries. You need to rest. I’ll tell your family that we’re done, and they can come back in.” 

“Thank you, officer Reyes,” Usnavi shook his hand again as he left. 

The doctor came in before the others and quietly shut the door behind him. 

“Mr. De La Vega, I’m Dr. Reagan. I hope you are resting comfortably?” 

“Yes. When can I go home?” 

“We want to take an x-ray of your ribs to make sure there’s no shifting or further internal damage. You had one before we taped you up, we just want to make sure nothing has shifted in the last few hours. You also sustained several head injuries and we want to keep you for observation to make sure there’s no complications. Are you in any pain?” 

“A… a little. My head hurts.” 

“Yes, you had to have several stitches to close that gash and you have a concussion. You took quite a beating. I’d hate to see the other guy,” the doctor seemed to realize his poorly thought out joke wasn’t that funny. 

“I don’t think he got nearly as good as he gave. Guess I can take a punch though.” 

“Yes, well, I’m happy to report that you’ll make a full recovery. There’s nothing permanent other than probably a scar on your head.” 

“Thank you, Doctor.” 

“I’m just glad you and your cousin are okay.” 

“Yeah, me to.” 

“I’ll leave you to your family, then.” He shook Usnavi’s hand and then left the room. 

* * *

The following afternoon, Benny and Sonny helped Usnavi sink down onto his bed after the hard, slow climb up the stairs. Vanessa hovered in the background waiting for him to get comfortably situated. 

Sonny plopped down next to him. Usnavi could tell that Sonny wanted to ask for something. 

“What is it?” he hedged. 

“Hey, I know you’re worried about me, but I’m okay. Do you mind if I go see Pete? I think he wants to see for himself that I’m good.” 

“Yeah, sure, Sonny, just don’t go far. Do you have your phone?” he nodded. Benny had been able to get their phones after they had cleared the room of evidence. 

Usnavi had felt very protective towards Sonny over the past couple of days. He didn’t like for him to be out of his sight. However, Vanessa had reminded him that he wasn’t a baby and would need his freedom. He couldn’t watch him twenty-four seven, and he didn’t need that. Usnavi watched him go with trepidation. 

“He’ll be fine. He’ll be back before you know it,” Vanessa cooed calmly while squeezing his hand gently. “He’s a good boy and he knows you worry. He’s in no rush to find trouble after the last few days.” 

“I’m going to head out as well,” Benny commented. “I gotta go make that money.” He ruffled Usnavi’s hair. “Feel better, bro. I’m glad you’re okay.” 

“Thanks man.” 

Vanessa snuggled in next to him. “You in any pain? Do you need anything?” 

He put his arm around her. He’d known her most of his life, but he still got a thrill every time he realized that she was his. _Damn! I really should have asked her out sooner._

“Nah. I’m good. Just stay here with me?” 

“Of course. I don’t want you away from me for a long time.” She leaned against his chest and rested her arm across his abdomen, careful not to hurt his ribs. “I can’t tell you how scared I was when Benny called and said you and Sonny were on the way to the hospital and that the bodega had been robbed. I don’t know what I’d do if you were… If something were to happen to you.” 

He rubbed her shoulder. “I know. You were in my thoughts a lot that night. I didn’t know if I would see you again. I didn’t like that possibility.” 

She looked up at him, and then moved in and kissed his black eye. “Let’s just promise to be together for always. Where you go, I go and where I go, you go, sí?” 

He could smell her shampoo as he kissed the top of her head. “Sí.” Usnavi was quiet for a moment. “Let’s get married.” 

“Ay, Usnavi, how hard did you hit your head? You’ve already asked me, and I said yes, recuerda?” She held up her hand with the engagement ring on it. 

“Yes. I meant now. Let’s just go and do it. We could go to Atlantic City or wherever.” 

“Usnavi. You know you want to get married in the church. You said you wanted to honor Abuela Claudia and your parents by doing things right.” 

“I know, but… what if something worse happens. We both should know that no one is guaranteed tomorrow. Look at my parents. They didn’t think they were going to die. They just got sick. They certainly didn’t think both of them would die.” He bit his lip. 

“Usnavi. I will marry you, soon. Like we planned. But you’ve been through a lot and I won’t let our wedding be something you regret 20 years from now. We want our whole community to be able to celebrate with us. And… I think that’s more important now than ever before.” 

Usnavi felt his heartbeat, which had been rising, begin to settle back down. “You’re right. I’m just… scared. I don’t want to lose you.” 

“You’re not going to lose me, mi amor.” She brushed her fingers down his cheek, gently avoiding the bruises. “Let’s go speak to the priest and see if we can move the wedding up? Is that a compromiso aceptable?” 

He kissed her forehead. “Sí.” 

Vanessa leaned up and gently kissed his lips. She took time to kiss each bruise and gash on his face, carefully, as if covering over the hurt. Usnavi sighed and closed his eyes. 

* * *

**EPILOGUE - EIGHT WEEKS LATER**

Usnavi bounced on his heels with Benny and Sonny beside him. Kevin had agreed to give Vanessa away and any second now they would be coming through the back doors of the church. 

“Relax…” Benny whispered in his ear. 

“Yeah, chillax.” Sonny chimed in with a smirk. 

“Relax, qué relaxed? I’m relaxed.” 

Benny smirked at his response. “Sure, you’re the picture of calm. If you bounce any higher, you’re going to go through the ceiling.” 

Sonny sniggered next to him. “Usnavi and Vanessa sitting in a tree…” 

“Man shut up! I’m getting’ married for reals!” 

There was a change in the music, and everyone stood. 

Usnavi would never forget the moment he saw her on Kevin’s arm. He’d also never be able to put it into words. Ever. It was the most perfect and sublime moment of his existence. This time, when he heard Abuela’s voice praying over him, it was joyful. Somehow, he knew it was like she was watching him. He was glad he had waited and hadn’t run away to get married after everything that had happened. He was once again reminded of what it meant to be home. Surrounded by everything he knew and everyone he loved. There was nothing like that feeling anywhere in the world. And now, home would also forever mean Vanessa. His bride. He took a deep breath as Kevin kissed Vanessa’s cheek and handed her off to Usnavi and they both faced the priest. 

FIN 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the delay. In my defense, the delay is because my muse kept insisting that instead of editing, I needed to write more on one of my other WIPs. 
> 
> So, I have an upcoming one-shot fluffy fic and TWO longer whumpy In the Heights fits and another Hamilton fic. Y'all pray I can stay inspired and get these things finished. I'm having so much fun! 
> 
> As always, please let me know what you thought of my story in the comments. I LOVE to hear from you. Thank you as well for any kudos. They are always appreciated. <3
> 
> (Side note, AO3 was glitching when I tried to post this and it literally took me over an hour and a half to get it right. UGH! Here's to hoping it actually turns out right.)

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading. Please let me know what you think in the comments. They really do help me write more and faster. :-)
> 
> Kudos are also very much appreciated. <3


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